April 11, 2012

The Voice is starting a new feature several times a week. As foreclosures continue unabated across the nation, the Voice will be profiling the foreclosures that happen every week right here in the five boroughs. We’ll be looking closely at the properties facing foreclosure, the public auctions where those buildings are sold to the highest bidder, and the individuals facing eviction in the process.

Eight properties are set to be sold Thursday at Brooklyn Supreme Court’s weekly foreclosure sale. And as usual, we knocked on a few doors to see who lives/works there and, more importantly, if they are aware of the foreclosure sale.

Residents near Flatbush Avenue in Prospect Park who are into Chinese may have to find another spot, as King’s Chef Chinese Food, a very popular joint located at 681 Flatbush Avenue, is set to be sold.

And judging from the reaction of the staff, they are well aware of it.

“I don’t know anything, I just work here, I’m not the manager,” said the lone wait staff, a Chinese man who seems to be in his late 40s. “Come back later this week.”

When poached further, he revealed that several other men have shown up over the past few weeks.

“Some were from the bank, wanting payment, others were investors looking to buy,” he said. He said he hasn’t worked at the restaurant “too long” and don’t know much beyond that it’s a rental.

When asked if he was worried about his job security, he shrugged.

There was no name listed on the official court docket.

Over at 556 Evergreen Avenue in Bushwick, residents of a three story apartment complex have, essentially, turned on the landlord and the legal owner of the property.

Luis Mendoza, a handyman who lives on the second floor, says a private management company showed up with documents seizing control of the property two months ago.

“Basically, the company said our rent goes to them from now on, instead of the old landlord,” said Mendoza.

Documents showed the old landlord, Amar Moody, is nearly $700,000 behind in mortgage to a private investment firm, Parad LLC.

Moody hasn’t been seen by Mendoza or another resident, a single mother named Ms Jackman, for over a month.

And at 645 Myrtle Avenue in Clinton Hill, a two story apartment is on the docket. Knocks on the door went unanswered. Neighborhood kids said the place has been abandoned for a while.

The Voice will attend the sale tomorrow to follow up on the sales and the fate of these properties–especially the Chinese restaurant.